Shattering the Ice Storm
Shhh-! The vortex of frigid air raging from above grew steadily stronger. The players stood frozen in place.
“Isn't that the kind of desperate pattern they pull out when their HP hits rock bottom?”
In the tense atmosphere, one of the vanguard players voiced the thought. It was the perfect moment to strike, he claimed.
“You think that's the final phase?”
“There are high-level monsters that do something like that.”
“Did we really chunk that much HP off it?”
The remaining players in the field cautiously agreed. After all, they'd poured everything they had into their attacks.
-Did it lose that much blood?
-Hmm, about that much?
-One more smack and we'll hit the emerald vein...
-Fr, a few more hits and it's toast?
-Still looks way too healthy tho;
-Should we just go for it?
The viewers reacted with uncertainty.
“We can't back out now. Focus all firepower!”
With their forces clearly depleted, Mars made a snap decision.
“Tch. Tough bastard.”
Thwack-! Clicking his tongue, Blood charged at the Snow Drake once more. The rest, who'd been hesitating, followed suit.
Kang Hanbit spoke softly to Riwei beside him. “Keep hitting just the reverse scale until I give the signal.”
“Just the reverse scale?”
“We need to max out its stress. Mr. Zenon, head over there and link up with the others waiting.”
“Got it.”
Zenon nodded and moved in the direction Hanbit indicated. Avant-garde's group was probably already there.
“Let's go.”
Hanbit kicked off toward the boss alongside Riwei. The players were already unleashing everything they had.
Splash-! Boom-!
Their skills struck the Snow Drake cleanly. Yet it didn't budge amid the onslaught.
“...It's holding that pattern in this state?”
“Shut up and keep pouring it on! This has to be a pattern we neutralize in time!”
As the relentless barrage continued, Hanbit focused on the Snow Drake's technique while targeting its reverse scale.
Whoosh-! Above its steadfastly raised head, a crystalline mass swelled. The vortex of cold air intensified accordingly, now blanketing the surrounding space in blinding white.
“Ah, why isn't it budging?!”
“You mana potion hoarders, I'll autopsy you all later!”
The players spamming skills without respite panicked. The Snow Drake had tanked the damage without flinching.
“Don't stop!”
Mars trusted his judgment. That sphere of cold gathering overhead was dangerous. They had to kill the Snow Drake before it went off.
Bam-!
As the assault raged on, Hanbit quietly fell back and signaled Riwei. The man halted his attacks and slipped away from the battlefield.
“Black Dragon!”
Avant-garde was the first to greet the two as they reached the rally point.
Hanbit eyed Gorik, who stood gripping his hammer. “Congrats on reclaiming the legacy.”
“...Yeah, thanks to all of you.”
The dwarf nodded quietly, then turned his gaze to the Snow Drake. “What about that thing? It looks pretty ominous.”
Shhh-
The oppressively massive sphere of cold was affecting even distant areas.
Hanbit turned back and crouched low. On the ground lay the pristine heart of the White Wyvern—something he'd secretly stashed before the fight.
“Damn it!”
“Hit it harder!”
The players were still chugging mana potions and unloading attacks. Their vision was shrouded in white from the scattered cold, oblivious to anyone else's situation.
Swish-
Suddenly, the vortex surging toward the crystal began to subside. As the obscured view cleared naturally, someone shouted.
“Huh? Where'd Black Dragon and Riwei go?”
“You should've kept monitoring!”
“You do it! Like I had the brainpower for that!”
Realizing the duo's absence too late, the players checked the stream. They saw Black Dragon and his party huddled off to the side.
“What?”
“Son of a bitch! They dipped right before!”
“Pull out! They're dodging that skill!”
The players, grasping Black Dragon's party's position, felt the crisis and tried to flee.
At that moment.
Vwoom-!
A sharp resonance echoed from the overhead sphere.
“Everyone, group up.”
Hanbit called them together, then raised his sword toward the White Wyvern heart on the ground.
“What the hell are you up to?!”
Blood, watching the stream, sensed something off and bolted over at top speed. But Hanbit's blade was already thrusting downward.
Crunch-!
The sword pierced the White Wyvern heart cleanly. Simultaneously, the condensed cold exploded outward.
“Huh?”
“What the...!”
Crackle-!
Before they could react, a massive cloud of frigid air engulfed everyone. Hanbit's party froze solid in an instant.
Boom-!
The Snow Drake's crystal detonated overhead.
Kaboom-!
The pent-up wind erupted like an explosion. A ferocious storm of cold strong enough to upheave the crumbling floor swept the entire citadel in seconds.
Crackle-!
The blizzard painted everything white, crumbling the citadel's walls at the edges before dissipating. Aside from Hanbit's already-frozen party, the players couldn't even react before being swept away.
Whoosh-
The space, now locked in ice, swirled only with cold air. The vast citadel was nothing but a frozen wasteland.
-No way;
-Insane AoE ㄷㄷ
-So it was tanking hits to set this up?
-The nobleman's revenge...
-AoE (instakill)
-But Black Dragon hasn't respawned yet?
The camera still showed the citadel interior, meaning Black Dragon was alive.
Shhh-
Even the Snow Drake halted, plunging the space into eerie silence. It shattered just a minute later.
Crack-
A breaking sound echoed from the citadel blanketed in white frost.
Snap- Crack-!
The irregular noise grew louder. Then it turned dull.
Thud-!
The ice covering one side collapsed.
Drip-
Hanbit stirred within, shaking off the remaining frost as he flexed his limbs free from the freeze.
-Huh?
-Broke out crazy fast lol
-Why just him?
-Nah, others too.
-Blood and them still frozen?
As viewer doubts mounted, Hanbit's party broke free as well.
“Ugh, that was...”
“Did we really just get frozen?”
“...An unbelievable sight.”
Those who'd been encased together regained their freedom. Avant-garde, eyes sparkling with wonder, scanned around.
“But are we the only ones free?”
Most players were frozen near the Snow Drake. Blood, who'd charged toward it, was iced mid-stride, inches from arrival.
Hanbit pointed to the crushed White Wyvern heart on the ground. “Remember the heart's info? Figured it had another use.”
“Ah, so it blocked the AoE! But you said it couldn't handle intense cold?”
“The cold condensed in the heart dwarfs what's leaking out. One burst ends it, though.”
-What, a gimmick?
-Black Dragon bags another W today.
-Wyvern heart re-evaluated.
-If they didn't break the instakill, it'd be trash game;
-Info: Shockingly, hated trash games always exist.
“Such a secret...”
Avant-garde nodded in understanding. Riwei, listening in, eyed the Snow Drake frozen in the center.
“It staying like that?”
“Nah, it'll wake soon.”
Step-
Hanbit advanced on the boss after his curt reply. The backlash after its AoE left it iced over, untouchable for damage right now.
But that wasn't his goal.
Swish-
Approaching closely, he reached under the Snow Drake's jaw.
Drip-
Kicking aside ice, he inspected the ground. He found what he wanted quickly.
“Got it.”
A dark blue scale shard buried in the ice. Crouching, Hanbit picked up the palm-sized piece.
[Snow Drake's Reverse Scale Fragment]
Rank: 6
Grade: Saga
Explanation: A scale fragment broken from the Snow Drake's reverse scale. It boasts extremely high mana affinity and cold resistance, but seems tricky to work with.
-??
-6-rank Saga?
-Shard's nuts?
-Auction price?
-Name your price;
-Frozen players weeping.
-Should've noticed and used the heart. lol
The chat exploded at the item's immense value.
Hanbit had eyed just two things in the citadel: the dwarven legacy and the reverse scale fragment.
“Let's head out. It'll wake soon.”
Goal achieved, Hanbit led his party toward the entrance.
As they reached the firmly shut door.
Grrk-
The awakened Snow Drake rumbled its throat.
“Uh, it's up?”
The citadel's master lifted its head, regaining its senses. Tension thickened the air once more.
“Want me to buy some time?”
Riwei asked, twirling his spear. But Hanbit shook his head.
“Nah. It's got its own business.”
“Business?”
Thud-!
The ground quaked as the Snow Drake stirred. It swung its tail at the frozen players nearby.
Bam-! Boom-!
Players shattered pitifully under its fury-laced strikes. Pure emotional venting, like relieving stress.
-Insane lol
-Dino rampage ;
-Info: They didn't die, just frozen.
-Fr freeze tag lol
-Tag (dead)
-Thanks for the noble sac.
Tap-
Hanbit lightly knocked the door ahead. Solid ice structure, now exponentially tougher after tanking the AoE.
Fwoosh-!
Gripping his sword, Hanbit activated Attribute Manifestation and Element Amplification together. Flames roared, fueled by stamina and mana—Salion's blaze fully infused.
Fwoosh-!
Mana drained rapidly, fogging his mind. At the brink, he slashed forward.
Slash-!
Flames burrowed along the diagonal arc, melting the ice instantly to carve a path.
Grrk-!
Then, the Snow Drake slaughtering frozen players turned toward the entrance.
“Out now!”
Locking eyes, Hanbit hustled his party outside.
Bam-!
The boss leaped high. Last in line, Hanbit dove through just before it crashed down.
Kaboom-!
A massive shockwave erupted from the near-miss impact. But that was it. The Snow Drake roared at the hole Hanbit escaped through, trapped inside.
“Whew.”
Surviving, Hanbit exhaled lightly and stood. He turned to his party.
“Let's go home.”